Commentaries:
Of all the requests to the Father in Jesus' Model Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), the opening couplet of verse 13 has stirred the most controversy. The traditional wording, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (King James Version [KJV]), has come under fire by some modern translators, who argue that not only is this wording imprecise, but it also creates a biblical contradiction.
In James 1:13, the apostle, Jesus' half-brother James, writes, “Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” In the next verse, James plainly states that our desires entice us into temptation. If we retain the traditional wording of the Model Prayer's final request, it forces us to choose between opposing claims: Jesus' intimation that God can lead a person into temptation versus James' assertion that God does not tempt anyone.
Here, the scholarly debates over the last request's translation reveal an easy solution to this apparent contradiction. Evidently, the KJV translators sacrificed precision for poetic rhythm and easy memorization when rendering the Greek of Matthew 6:13 into early modern English. In fact, of the four primary words in the couplet—“lead,” “temptation,” “deliver,” and “evil”—only one of them, “deliver,” fits the context without causing theological complications. However, better word choices easily resolve these difficulties.
The Greek verb translated as “lead” in Matthew 6:13 is eisphero, which literally means “to bring or carry into.” Many translators claim that “lead” is an acceptable rendering of this word in English, and many Greek lexicons list this definition. However, “bring” and “lead” differ in terms of intent: “Bring” tends to be neutral about motive, whereas “lead” implies the leader has a reason or intention for doing so. The basic Greek word for “lead” is ago and its various forms, which this context does not contain. (However, see Luke 4:9, which records that Satan “brought” [ago] Christ to the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem to be tempted.) The use of “lead” suggests that God sometimes willfully directs us into temptations, and a believer must implore Him not to.
The more egregious mistranslation is using the word “temptation” with “lead.” James 1:13 asserts that God never tempts anyone, a role the Devil gleefully fills to undermine believers' faith (see Luke 4:13; Ephesians 6:16). The underlying Greek term, peirasmos, can indicate a temptation but more broadly implies a test or examination. God tests and examines His people “to know what [is] in [their] heart, whether [they] will keep His commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2). Godly “testing” or a “test” that leads to stronger faith would seem to be Jesus' intent in using peirasmos in Matthew 6:13. Thus, His words suggest, “Do not bring us to hard testing” (The Good News Translation), or more idiomatically, “. . . do not put us to the test” (The Revised English Bible).
In this way, the request asks God to be merciful in testing and evaluating us. As David writes in Psalm 103:13-14, 17-18:
As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. . . . But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Model Prayer (Part Eight): Testing and Deliverance
The second half of the couplet, “but deliver us from the evil one,” begins with alla, a word commentators call a “strong adversative” or a “logical contrastive.” It indicates that what follows is rationally opposed to what has been previously stated. Like many such sayings in the Old Testament's wisdom literature, the couplet is proverbial, expressing related ideas with contrasting clauses (see, for instance, Proverbs 10:1; 12:2; 14:4; etc.).
The deliverance (ryomai) that dominates this half of the couplet has the common sense of “rescue,” “save from harm,” or “deliver out of peril.” It pictures a vulnerable, even helpless person being dragged out of severe danger. Spiritually, it suggests rescue from a powerful opponent who overmatches the one under threat.
The final word, usually translated as “evil” or “the evil one,” is Greek ho ponēros, meaning “that which harms.” Most modern translations render this phrase to indicate Satan the Devil, the Adversary of God and humanity (see also Matthew 5:37; 13:19, 38). In a first-century context, when the idea of a universal spiritual adversary was commonly held, referring to the personal source of evil would have given Jesus' statement added force.
The complete request, then, has the sense of, “Do not bring upon us sore testing, but rather rescue us from our mighty Adversary.”
The story of Job is instructive in showing God's people how He allows Satan to afflict them in various ways to test their faith (see Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; 42:1-6). The narrative depicts the Adversary as impertinent toward God and eager to cause Job loss, heartache, and harm. However, he cannot touch him without God's express permission, and God places boundaries on how much he could afflict the man. In contrast to Satan's attitude, God defends Job's righteousness and faithfulness, confident in his strength to withstand the Devil's attacks. Job ultimately proves God right, not only refusing to “curse God and die” but also growing in understanding, faith, and appreciation for his God in the end.
The narratives of Christ's temptation in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13 teach how the very Son of God overcame Satan's enticements to sin. Most obviously, Jesus meets every potential trap with a quotation from God's Word, providing Him with the knowledge and authority to counter Satan's challenges. With such weapons and commitment to doing His Father's will, He resists the Devil in faith, and he flees from Him (James 4:7; I Peter 5:8-9). Even with our comparatively weak faith, we can follow His example of resisting Satan's temptations, and God will add His help to “deliver us from the evil one.”
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Model Prayer (Part Eight): Testing and Deliverance
The English translation of Matthew 6:13 hides what may be the true meaning of this declaration. Underlying “kingdom” is the Greek word basileia, which indeed means “kingdom.” However, it also can mean “dominion,” “sovereignty,” “kingly power,” “authority,” “reign,” “rule,” and “royal dignity.” Here, used alongside “power” and “glory,” it most likely suggests the abstract ideas of dominion and sovereignty rather than a tangible kingdom.
As it ends, the Model Prayer reminds the praying individual that God rules over everything. It is reminiscent of what Nebuchadnezzar heard from the angel during his second dream: “. . . the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men” (Daniel 4:17). Nebuchadnezzar himself twice says, “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:3, 34). God controls everything, and nothing happens in heaven or on earth without His oversight. It is a comforting reminder.
Next, power is a significant theme throughout the Bible, particularly God's power compared to the power of Satan, men, kingdoms, etc. Its insertion in the Model Prayer reminds the petitioner not just of mere power but of God's power, which is omnipotence. He is the Almighty God, the Old Testament's El Shaddai (Genesis 17:1) and YHWH Sabaōth (“Lord of Hosts”; Psalm 24:10; Isaiah 2:12). He is “the Lord God Omnipotent [pantokratōr, “all powerful”],” as the heavenly host names Him in Revelation 19:6.
Because all power resides in Him, He can perform and provide all that is necessary to fulfill His purpose and care for us. Nothing is too difficult for Him to accomplish. The apostle Paul makes God's almighty power personal to us in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens [empowers] me.” Remembering that the God who lives in us possesses all power and will use it for our benefit as He wills can give us great confidence.
Jesus' mention of “glory forever” in closing His Model Prayer ends His instruction with a reminder of our goal. Glorification is the final event of the sanctification process (see Romans 8:28-30) that God puts His elect through as He forms and shapes them for eternal rulership in His Kingdom. It is the completion or full realization of salvation. For His firstfruits, this event occurs at the return of Christ (see Matthew 24:29-31; I Corinthians 15:50-54; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; I John 3:1-2; Revelation 11:15-18).
Note, however, Jesus' wording in Matthew 6:13: “For Yours is . . . the glory forever.” While His thought includes our eventual glorification, He forces us to remember that God is the Source of all glory and that His entire plan and purpose is for His glory, not ours. As Paul writes in Ephesians 3:21, “. . . to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” As we end our prayers with such words, we praise Him for His awe-inspiring and eternal excellence and splendor while simultaneously humbling ourselves in His august presence.
The Hebrew term amen comes from a verb meaning “to be firm” and is thus understood to mean “truly,” “surely,” or “let it be so.” In its frequent usage across the Bible (30x in the Old Testament and 129x in the New), it serves as a declaration of affirmation or agreement, usually to a prayer or doxology. We use it in the same way today.
Jesus regularly employs it to mean “truly” or “assuredly” to stress the authority of a declaration He then makes. For instance, He frequently says, “Assuredly [often doubled for added emphasis in John's gospel—translated as “Most assuredly”], I say to you . . .” (see Matthew 10:15; Mark 13:30; Luke 12:37; 21:3; John 3:3; etc.). In these cases, it sometimes marks a surprising statement, reversing what most hearers or readers would expect.
The Bible also uses “Amen” as a name or description of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 3:14, He calls Himself “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness.” By doing so, He confirms that He and His Word are trustworthy. We can have faith that His promises, counsel, and judgments are always good and reliable.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Model Prayer (Part Nine): Kingdom, Power, Glory
Memorizing the Lord's Prayer—which is a bit of a misnomer; it should be "The Disciples' Prayer" or "The Model Prayer"—is a wonderful thing to do. Parents should make it their aim to teach it to their children. But unlike many in nominal Christianity, we need to go further and teach our children that the prayer is not one to be mindlessly repeated but a guideline for our personal, private prayers to "our Father in heaven." It maps out the general attitude and subjects of prayer that we should take to heart and cut deeply into our memories.
It is a wonder that so few who frequently use Matthew 6:9-13 both publically and privately know what Jesus says—no, commands—in the immediately preceding verses:
And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:5-8)
Christ plainly says that public prayers made expressly to be seen by others is hypocritical, and prayers that are repeated vainly (meaning "carelessly," "uselessly," or "thoughtlessly") are heathen! Obviously, this does not mean that He forbids public prayer; there are many examples of proper public prayer in Scripture (see, for example, I Kings 8:22-53; Ezra 9:6-15; Nehemiah 9:5-38; John 17:1-26; etc.). Public prayer is a necessary part of opening and closing religious services. What Jesus denounces is making a show of praying to enhance one's reputation as a "religious" or "righteous" person, as well as repetitious, canned prayers and overlong, tedious prayers.
Overall, Jesus warns us against two mistakes when praying: making them about us and making them meaningless. Doing either (or both) will ruin their effectiveness and actually work at cross-purposes to spiritual growth. When we pray, we need to remember that it is a formal conversation with the divine Governor of the Universe. We have not entered His court for our own gratification and glory. We certainly do not want to bore Him by endlessly repeating the same five words or giving Him the expanded War and Peace version of our pitiful lives. To the contrary, we are before Him to praise Him, to thank Him, to beseech Him for help both for others and ourselves, and to praise and thank Him. I repeat myself for emphasis.
What would we think of a friend who came to the front door each morning, and upon opening it to admit him, we heard him say the exact same thing that he had said the past 532 straight mornings, droning on for half an hour without coming up for air? We might love him as a friend, but we would surely think he was a bit strange and wasting our time with his endless repetitions. We would soon tune out his robotic, one-sided conversation.
We are blessed that God is far more patient and understanding with us than we would be to such a bore. He listens to our petitions whether we are eloquent or mind-numbingly incoherent (see Romans 8:26). Yet, notice that Jesus tells the disciples—us—that the Father knows what we need before we ask Him. We are not springing anything on Him that He has not already figured out.
So there is no need for us to meander, be vague, or employ some kind of rhetorical device that is "guaranteed" to convince Him that He has to intervene right away. There is no need to try to impress Him with our knowledge or persuasiveness or righteousness. He wants us to be ourselves and to speak with Him as family members do—with, of course, the proper reverence for who He is.
What is most important—what He is looking for—is a "poor and . . . contrite spirit, and [one] who trembles at My word" (Isaiah 66:2). If the attitude is humble, focused on God's will and His plan for us, He will hear and respond. More importantly, we will be drawing closer to Him and taking on aspects of His character that are so essential to Christian life and the Kingdom of God.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
When I played Little League baseball in the Columbia, South Carolina, area, it was the practice of our league to gather one team around first base and the opposing team around third base. All the players and coaches would take a knee and reach forward to grab part of a bat that someone placed upright on the base or stack their hands on top of it. Once everyone was situated, the head coach would say, "Take off your caps and bow your heads," and we would all begin to recite the Lord's Prayer in a rapid-fire monotone, hoping to beat the other team to the end. Once done, the players and coaches scrambled back to their respective dugouts, and the umpire called, "Play ball!" God had been invoked and all was well.
Did anyone at the ballpark ever stop to consider if the Lord's Prayer—which is a misnomer; it should be "The Disciples' Prayer" or "The Model Prayer"—has anything to do with baseball? The word does not appear in Matthew 6:9-13 or, in fact, in the Bible. The prayer that Jesus gave His disciples to teach them to pray is about God the Father, His holiness, His name, His Kingdom, His will, His power, His glory, and His eternity, as well as requests for daily providence, forgiveness, guidance, and deliverance. Nary a word about curveballs, double plays, or stealing second base.
Memorizing the so-called Lord's Prayer is a wonderful thing to do. Parents should make it their aim to teach it to their children. But unlike many in nominal Christianity, we need to go further and teach our children that the prayer is not one to be mindlessly repeated but a guideline for our personal, private prayers to "our Father in heaven." It maps out the general attitude and subjects of prayer that we should take to heart and cut deeply into our memory.
It is a wonder that so few who frequently use Matthew 6:9-13 both publicly and privately know what Jesus says—no, commands—in the immediately preceding verses:
And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:5-8)
Christ plainly says that public prayers made expressly to be seen by others are hypocritical, and prayers that are repeated vainly (meaning "carelessly," "uselessly," or "thoughtlessly") are heathen! Obviously, this does not mean that He forbids public prayer; there are many examples of proper public prayer in Scripture (see, for example, I Kings 8:22-53; Ezra 9:6-15; Nehemiah 9:5-38; John 17:1-26; etc.). Public prayer is a necessary part of opening and closing religious services. What Jesus denounces is making a show of praying to enhance one's reputation as a "religious" or "righteous" person, as well as repetitious, canned prayers and overlong, tedious prayers.
Overall, Jesus warns us against two mistakes when praying: making them about us and making them meaningless. Doing either (or both) will ruin their effectiveness and actually work at cross-purposes to spiritual growth. When we pray, we must remember it is a formal conversation with the divine Governor of the Universe. We have not entered His court for our own gratification and glory. We certainly do not want to bore Him by endlessly repeating the same five words or giving Him the expanded War and Peace version of our pitiful lives. To the contrary, we are before Him to praise Him, to thank Him, to beseech Him for help both for others and ourselves, and to praise and thank Him. I repeat myself for emphasis.
What would we think of a friend who came to the front door each morning, and upon opening it to admit him, he said the exact same thing that he had said the past 532 straight mornings, droning on for half an hour without coming up for air? We might love him as a friend, but we would surely think he was a bit strange and wasting our time with his endless repetitions. We would soon tune out his robotic, one-sided conversation.
We are blessed that God is far more patient and understanding with us than we would be to such a bore. He listens to our petitions whether we are eloquent or mind-numbingly incoherent (see Romans 8:26). Yet, notice that Jesus tells the disciples—us—that the Father knows what we need before we ask Him. We are not springing anything on Him that He has not already figured out. So there is no need for us to meander, be vague, or employ some kind of rhetorical device that is "guaranteed" to convince Him that He has to intervene immediately. There is no need to try to impress Him with our knowledge, persuasiveness, or righteousness. He wants us to be ourselves and to speak with Him as family members do—with, of course, the proper reverence for who He is.
What is most important—what He is looking for—is a "poor and . . . contrite spirit, and [one] who trembles at My word" (Isaiah 66:2). If the attitude is humble, focused on God's will and His plan for us, He will hear and respond. More importantly, we will be drawing closer to Him and taking on aspects of His character that are so essential to Christian life and the Kingdom of God.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Vain Repetitions
Jesus Christ's Model Prayer begins with three petitions that comprise a set: “Our Father who is in heaven, [1] may your name be treated as holy. [2] May your kingdom come, [3] may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10, Lexham English Bible). In short, one who prays is to ask for God to receive due reverence, His plan to come to fruition, and His instructions to be followed. These three requests concern spiritual matters, indicating that such things should be top-of-mind for those who approach God's throne.
The third of these petitions, asking for the Father's will to be done on earth as in heaven, contrasts the obedience of God's heavenly servants with the general disobedience and rebellion among earthly humans. When God commands an angel to do something for Him, the angel responds immediately and carries out his task thoroughly (Daniel 9:20-23; 10:10-14).
However, in Romans 8:7, the apostle Paul describes human beings as at “enmity [hostile, hateful, having deep-seated ill-will] against God; for [the carnal mind] is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” Through David, speaking of “the children of men,” God says, “They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:2-3). The petition requests, not just help for the petitioner in obeying Him, but a sea-change in the attitude of humanity toward God and His instruction.
God's plan involves bringing all humanity into subjection to the Father (I Corinthians 15:23-28). Paul, quoting Isaiah 45:23, writes, “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11). The prayer's third petition looks forward to this day while reminding the Christian that he must himself imitate the Father's angelic servants in carrying out God's will with enthusiasm and devotion.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Model Prayer (Part Five): Your Will Be Done
Among the three personal requests Jesus includes within His Model Prayer—for daily sustenance, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil—only the middle one receives additional comment (verses 14-15). His instruction clarifies the second half of the request in verse 12 (see Luke 11:4): “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (emphasis ours throughout). Our Savior wants to ensure that His disciples do not miss the severe implications of seeking forgiveness while withholding forgiveness from those who have wronged us. As God freely forgives those He calls—despite their horrendous sins against Him—He expects the elect to follow His example and show mercy to others.
The verb tenses in this request, faithfully translated into English, are instructive. The petitioner asks God to forgive him as he has already forgiven those who have sinned against him. Luke's version of the Model Prayer adds a slight twist, reading “for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us,” which in Greek is in a continuous tense, perhaps better rendered, “as we keep forgiving.” These tenses suggest that God's original forgiveness at justification is a singular act of grace on His part, but our ongoing forgiveness contains a condition: If we fail to reciprocate forgiveness toward others, God may withhold His mercy from us.
The Greek word behind “forgive” in Matthew 6:12 is aphiēmi (Strong's #863), which in classical Greek meant “to send off” in a variety of nuances: “to hurl [a spear],” “to release,” “to let go,” or “to let be.” In Scripture, it is often used in the sense of “to leave,” as in Mark 1:20, where Zebedee's sons “left” their father to follow Christ. It can also mean “to set aside,” used in Mark 7:8 to describe the Pharisees “laying aside” God's law in favor of their traditions. In Mark 12:19, the Sadducees try to entrap Jesus with a story about a man who dies and “leaves his [childless] wife behind.” When the woman anointed His feet with costly oil in Mark 14:3-9, Jesus uses aphiēmi in the phrase “let her alone” (verse 6). Sometimes, it can mean “to allow” or “to permit,” as in Mark 5:37, where Jesus allowed only Peter, James, and John to witness His transfiguration.
The Greeks used aphiēmi to mean “to remit” or “to forgive or pardon” in both a secular (to forgive monetary debt) and religious (to forgive a fault or sin) sense. It describes a dismissal or release from obligation. As its many usages suggest, the spiritual sense not only implies absolving a sinner from paying what he owes (Mark 11:25), but it also retains the undertones of “laying aside,” “leaving behind,” “letting go,” and “leaving alone.” When God forgives someone, the debt is wholly removed, never to be revisited or reinstated; it is “laid aside,” “left behind,” “let go,” and “left alone.” It should be the same when people forgive others.
Notice how Jesus phrases this request: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” It may seem insignificant, but in this way, Jesus emphasizes the human element of the process of forgiveness: We are to forgive the person, not just the infraction. If a person remits a debt on a purely business or legal level, the forgiveness is real, but it has a negligible impact on the relationship between the debtor and debtee. The transaction has been essentially faceless and emotionless, and while the debtor is undoubtedly grateful, there is scant guarantee of a continuing association.
Instead, God desires not just forgiveness but also reconciliation. The debt, offense, or sin has caused a breach in the relationship, and forgiveness removes the hindering element so the involved parties may return to peaceful, positive, harmonious interactions. He has reconciled us to Him through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:19-21), and He wants us to reconcile with others, especially those in the faith from whom we have become estranged by sin or offense.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Model Prayer (Part Seven): Forgive Us Our Debts
It is interesting to note in this model prayer that sin is expressed through the image of debt, a true metaphor. Duty neglected, a debt to God, must be discharged by a penalty. All have sinned and the wages or penalty is death (Romans 3:23; 6:23). We are all under a peculiar form of indebtedness which we cannot pay and still have hope!
John W. Ritenbaugh
Passover, Obligation, and Love
Jesus' simple introduction, “In this manner, therefore, pray,” indicates that He intends the prayer to guide His disciples in their everyday prayers. (In fact, the verb “pray” is present tense, imperative mood in Greek, suggesting habitual performance.) It is a kind of outline or model on which they can hang their own words as their circumstances warrant.
Generally, the outline provides a primary focal point of prayer: the Father Himself. Praise and honor of God begins and ends the prayer, forcing us to acknowledge the Eternal God's holiness and power. We should never forget that the One listening to our words is the Almighty, Ever-living Sovereign of the universe and that we live and act by His grace.
After this, Jesus points to every Christian's goal: the Kingdom of God. It is God's goal, too, the height and culmination of His purpose for humanity. For millennia, the Father and Son have been working (John 5:17) to bring it to pass, first on earth during the Millennium and Great White Throne Judgment, then for eternity throughout the universe. It is God's will that we cooperate in making it happen, so we must ensure it is top of mind as we pray.
Christ places our personal needs in the middle of the prayer, covering daily needs, forgiveness, and help with trials and Satan's opposition. God realizes that we are still fleshly beings who need constant physical and spiritual maintenance and frequently fail to live up to His standards. We can take our needs to Him in prayer to receive the help we need, whether food for the table or a respite from the Devil's attacks.
Jesus never intended His model prayer to cover every situation or problem. For instance, He leaves out praying for the church or the healing of the sick. But it does give us our priorities: God Himself, His Kingdom, and doing His will. If we keep those things in mind, our prayers will grow in spiritual maturity, and our lives will better represent our Savior before the world.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Model Prayer (Part One): Introduction
The sequence of petitions in the second half of the Lord's Prayer tells us that we should pray daily for the food needed for that day. The next request is for God's forgiveness of our sins, followed by what can be a threatening, disturbing statement: that God's forgiveness of us is directly tied to our forgiveness of those who have sinned against us! We must reciprocate God's forgiveness by forgiving others' offenses committed against us.
Sin places us under obligation to seek forgiveness from God because our sins are against Him. However, a person cannot seek God for forgiveness until he is first aware of his indebtedness. One cannot truly forgive until he is aware of his shortcomings because it is from a sensitive awareness of one's own weaknesses that sympathetic feelings for others' weaknesses are born.
To impress this principle on every hearer of His Word, Jesus returns to the subject of forgiveness in Matthew 6:14-15 after completing His instruction on prayer. When such teaching follows so closely after identical teaching, God is clearly attempting to press its importance home to us.
Jesus' Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector shows the self-righteous to be critical and unforgiving people because they cannot see their own weaknesses. They have a difficult time putting themselves into another person's shoes. Luke writes in Luke 18:9, 14:
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. . . . "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
How can a person forgive when he has an exalted opinion of himself and simultaneously despises others? How can one who in his own eyes never does anything wrong be guilty of committing an offense against another? This person is set up for being easily aggrieved over insignificant offenses that he perceives as having been deliberately committed against him and being unable to forgive because it is beneath him to excuse one he despises. To scorn the offender and to speak evil of him are far more likely reactions.
What is forgiveness on our part? It is to lay aside all claim of getting even. Paul writes in Romans 12:14, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." He adds in verse 17, "Repay no one evil for evil," and in verse 19, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."
Rising to defend ourselves is a natural but carnal reaction, yet we must trust God to bring things to light in His own order and timeframe. We must not allow ourselves to resort to counter-offenses, as did brethren in Corinth, who took one another to court before unbelievers. Paul corrects them for not letting go of their vengeful spirit (I Corinthians 6:7).
Sometimes, we must be reminded of how important God considers our responsibility to forgive. Jesus' Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:22-35) follows Peter's question in verse 21, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus' conclusion is found in verses 32-35:
Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?" And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.
This is truly a weighty responsibility. Only through significant prayer can all of our resentment be dissolved and any breach healed. God is the God of all peace. He can and will respond to our honest and sincere requests for the reconciliation of a damaged brotherly relationship.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Is It Proper to Use 'Amen' to Close a Prayer (Matthew 6:13)?
Some have questioned the use of the word "amen" at the end of a prayer because an Egyptian god was called Amen (the supposed personification of air or breath and represented by a ram or a goose). However, we can find no evidence to link the Hebrew word amen—meaning "truth" or "so be it"—in any way to this or any other pagan deity.
What we do find is that the inspired writers of the Bible were led to use this Hebrew word frequently. Jesus Himself included the word "amen" as part of the model prayer He gave for all Christians (Matthew 6:9-12). Surely that is endorsement enough!
What about the claim that those who wrote the Bible got this word from the Egyptians? It would appear that if anyone "borrowed" this word from another people, the Egyptians got it from what was once the pure language spoken by everyone before the building of the tower of Babel. Was this a deliberate counterfeit? In the Bible we find that Jesus Christ is called "the Amen" (Revelation 3:14).
How does the Bible define this word? Notice, Jesus is "the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness." Its use here, directly connected with the word "true" and emphasizing the truth for which Christ stands, conclusively shows its meaning as used in the Scriptures.
If our own use of the word is based on the Hebrew, we need not fear that we are sinning when we use it (however, see Romans 14:23, if it is a matter of conscience). Of course, if we attribute existence or power to some mythical god in our minds as we use it, we are using it wrongly and not the way those who wrote the Bible did.
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Matthew 6:13:
Matthew 6:5-8
Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew 6:13
Matthew 6:13
Matthew 6:13
Matthew 6:13
Matthew 6:13
Matthew 6:13
Romans 7:24-25
